Chicken With Arsenic? Is That O.K.?
By MARIAN BURROS
April 5, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/dining/05well.html?ex=1301889600&en=9eae0f4e93407166&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
[Letters to the editor:
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html
]
ARSENIC may be called the king of poisons, but it is everywhere: in
the environment, in the water we drink and sometimes in the food we
eat.
The amount is not enough to kill anyone in one fell swoop, but
arsenic is a recognized cancer-causing agent and many experts say
that no level should be considered safe. Arsenic may also contribute
to other life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease and
diabetes, and to a decline in mental functioning.
Yet it is deliberately being added to chicken in this country, with
many scientists saying it is unnecessary. Until recently there was a
very high chance that if you ate chicken some arsenic would be
present because it has been a government-approved additive in poultry
feed for decades. It is used to kill parasites and to promote growth.
The chicken industry's largest trade group says that arsenic levels
in its birds are safe. "We are not aware of any study that shows
implications of any possibility of harm to human health as the result
of the use of these products at the levels directed," said Richard
Lobb, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council.
Chickens are not the only environmental source of arsenic. In
addition to drinking water, for which the Environmental Protection
Agency now sets a level of 10 parts per billion, other poultry, rice,
fish and a number of foods also contain the poison. Soils are
contaminated with arsenical pesticides from chicken manure; chicken
litter containing arsenic is fed to other animals; and until 2003,
arsenic was used in pressure-treated wood for decks and playground
equipment.
Human exposure to it has been compounded because the consumption of
chicken has exploded. In 1960, each American ate 28 pounds of chicken
a year. For 2005, the figure is estimated at about 87 pounds per
person. In spite of this threefold rise, the F.D.A. tolerance level
for arsenic in chicken of 500 parts per billion, set decades ago, has
not been revised.
A 2004 Department of Agriculture study on arsenic concluded that "the
higher than previously recognized concentrations of arsenic in
chicken combined with increasing levels of chicken consumption may
indicate a need to review assumptions regarding overall ingested
arsenic intake."
"When this source of arsenic is added to others, the exposure is
cumulative, and people could be in trouble," said Dr. Ted Schettler,
a physician and the science director at the Science & Environmental
Health Network, founded by a consortium of environmental groups.
Those at greatest risk from arsenic are small children and people who
consume chicken at a higher rate than what is considered average: two
ounces per day for a 154-pound person. The good news for consumers is
that arsenic-free chicken is more readily available than it has been
in the past, as more processors eliminate its use.
Tyson Foods, the nation's largest chicken producer, has stopped using
arsenic in its chicken feed. In addition, Bell & Evans and Eberly
chickens are arsenic-free. There is a growing market in organic
chicken and birds labeled "antibiotic-free": neither contains
arsenic.
Dr. Paul Mushak, a toxicologist and arsenic expert, said that the
fact that Tyson stopped using arsenic in 2004 is encouraging. "What
that tells me as a toxicologist and health-risk assessor is that if a
vertically integrated company like Tyson can do that then presumably
anyone can get away from using arsenic."
But there are still plenty of chickens out there with arsenic.
A report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, based in
Minnesota, examined the levels of arsenic in supermarket chicken and
chicken sold in fast-food outlets and found considerable variation.
None of the samples in the study, collected in December 2004 and
January 2005, exceeded the F.D.A. tolerance levels. (The report is at
iatp.org.)
Dr. David Wallinga, a physician who is the director of the food and
health program for the institute, a nonprofit advocacy group that
promotes sustainability and family farms, tested 155 samples of raw
chicken from 12 producers and 90 samples from 10 fast-food
restaurants. Chicken from five of the brands had either no detectable
levels of arsenic or levels so low they could be from environmental
contamination: Gerber's Poultry, Raised Right, Smart Chicken and
Rosie and Rocky Jr., both from Petaluma Poultry.
None of the fast-food chicken purchased was arsenic-free, but some
had extremely low levels. KFC thighs bought in Minnesota, where the
company's supplier does not use arsenic, had 2.2 parts per billion.
The company would not comment on its suppliers in other states.
The report offers many caveats to the findings, cautioning that the
results "are not definitive" because the sample size is small. The
method used, says the report, "gives a snapshot picture of the
arsenic found in those brands on that one day of testing."
Dr. Mushak described the Wallinga report as a pilot study. "It was
done during a limited time period, with limited geographical reach
and a limited number of sampling, but the information they came up
with is not that far afield from the other information that is out
there," he said, referring to the small amount of research that
preceded Dr. Wallinga's work, including the Department of Agriculture
study.
Dr. Tamar Lasky, an epidemiologist and the lead researcher on the
Agriculture study, commended Dr. Wallinga for taking the initiative.
"We are at the beginning stages of understanding an issue that we,
including scientists, knew very little about," she said.
In the Wallinga study, the chicken from Perdue, Foster Farms and
Gold'n Plump tested positive for arsenic and the companies
acknowledged that they sometimes use it. Trader Joe's samples also
tested positive for arsenic but the company said it would have no
comment.
McDonald's, the country's largest fast-food chain, said it does not
use chicken with arsenic but the test revealed the presence of more
than incidental amounts. Perhaps the chickens were purchased before
the company started demanding arsenic-free chickens a couple of years
ago.
Because there are still many more arsenic-fed than arsenic-free
chickens for sale, consumers can reduce their exposure by buying from
companies that have stopped using arsenic, or by choosing chickens
labeled organic or antibiotic-free. They can also remove the skin
from the chicken treated with arsenic, which reduces levels significantly.
just one more reason I'm glad to be vegan!
You can be too, if you need help visit http://www.wholebodyandspirit.com/counseling.html
April 5, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/dining/05well.html?ex=1301889600&en=9eae0f4e93407166&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
[Letters to the editor:
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html
]
ARSENIC may be called the king of poisons, but it is everywhere: in
the environment, in the water we drink and sometimes in the food we
eat.
The amount is not enough to kill anyone in one fell swoop, but
arsenic is a recognized cancer-causing agent and many experts say
that no level should be considered safe. Arsenic may also contribute
to other life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease and
diabetes, and to a decline in mental functioning.
Yet it is deliberately being added to chicken in this country, with
many scientists saying it is unnecessary. Until recently there was a
very high chance that if you ate chicken some arsenic would be
present because it has been a government-approved additive in poultry
feed for decades. It is used to kill parasites and to promote growth.
The chicken industry's largest trade group says that arsenic levels
in its birds are safe. "We are not aware of any study that shows
implications of any possibility of harm to human health as the result
of the use of these products at the levels directed," said Richard
Lobb, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council.
Chickens are not the only environmental source of arsenic. In
addition to drinking water, for which the Environmental Protection
Agency now sets a level of 10 parts per billion, other poultry, rice,
fish and a number of foods also contain the poison. Soils are
contaminated with arsenical pesticides from chicken manure; chicken
litter containing arsenic is fed to other animals; and until 2003,
arsenic was used in pressure-treated wood for decks and playground
equipment.
Human exposure to it has been compounded because the consumption of
chicken has exploded. In 1960, each American ate 28 pounds of chicken
a year. For 2005, the figure is estimated at about 87 pounds per
person. In spite of this threefold rise, the F.D.A. tolerance level
for arsenic in chicken of 500 parts per billion, set decades ago, has
not been revised.
A 2004 Department of Agriculture study on arsenic concluded that "the
higher than previously recognized concentrations of arsenic in
chicken combined with increasing levels of chicken consumption may
indicate a need to review assumptions regarding overall ingested
arsenic intake."
"When this source of arsenic is added to others, the exposure is
cumulative, and people could be in trouble," said Dr. Ted Schettler,
a physician and the science director at the Science & Environmental
Health Network, founded by a consortium of environmental groups.
Those at greatest risk from arsenic are small children and people who
consume chicken at a higher rate than what is considered average: two
ounces per day for a 154-pound person. The good news for consumers is
that arsenic-free chicken is more readily available than it has been
in the past, as more processors eliminate its use.
Tyson Foods, the nation's largest chicken producer, has stopped using
arsenic in its chicken feed. In addition, Bell & Evans and Eberly
chickens are arsenic-free. There is a growing market in organic
chicken and birds labeled "antibiotic-free": neither contains
arsenic.
Dr. Paul Mushak, a toxicologist and arsenic expert, said that the
fact that Tyson stopped using arsenic in 2004 is encouraging. "What
that tells me as a toxicologist and health-risk assessor is that if a
vertically integrated company like Tyson can do that then presumably
anyone can get away from using arsenic."
But there are still plenty of chickens out there with arsenic.
A report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, based in
Minnesota, examined the levels of arsenic in supermarket chicken and
chicken sold in fast-food outlets and found considerable variation.
None of the samples in the study, collected in December 2004 and
January 2005, exceeded the F.D.A. tolerance levels. (The report is at
iatp.org.)
Dr. David Wallinga, a physician who is the director of the food and
health program for the institute, a nonprofit advocacy group that
promotes sustainability and family farms, tested 155 samples of raw
chicken from 12 producers and 90 samples from 10 fast-food
restaurants. Chicken from five of the brands had either no detectable
levels of arsenic or levels so low they could be from environmental
contamination: Gerber's Poultry, Raised Right, Smart Chicken and
Rosie and Rocky Jr., both from Petaluma Poultry.
None of the fast-food chicken purchased was arsenic-free, but some
had extremely low levels. KFC thighs bought in Minnesota, where the
company's supplier does not use arsenic, had 2.2 parts per billion.
The company would not comment on its suppliers in other states.
The report offers many caveats to the findings, cautioning that the
results "are not definitive" because the sample size is small. The
method used, says the report, "gives a snapshot picture of the
arsenic found in those brands on that one day of testing."
Dr. Mushak described the Wallinga report as a pilot study. "It was
done during a limited time period, with limited geographical reach
and a limited number of sampling, but the information they came up
with is not that far afield from the other information that is out
there," he said, referring to the small amount of research that
preceded Dr. Wallinga's work, including the Department of Agriculture
study.
Dr. Tamar Lasky, an epidemiologist and the lead researcher on the
Agriculture study, commended Dr. Wallinga for taking the initiative.
"We are at the beginning stages of understanding an issue that we,
including scientists, knew very little about," she said.
In the Wallinga study, the chicken from Perdue, Foster Farms and
Gold'n Plump tested positive for arsenic and the companies
acknowledged that they sometimes use it. Trader Joe's samples also
tested positive for arsenic but the company said it would have no
comment.
McDonald's, the country's largest fast-food chain, said it does not
use chicken with arsenic but the test revealed the presence of more
than incidental amounts. Perhaps the chickens were purchased before
the company started demanding arsenic-free chickens a couple of years
ago.
Because there are still many more arsenic-fed than arsenic-free
chickens for sale, consumers can reduce their exposure by buying from
companies that have stopped using arsenic, or by choosing chickens
labeled organic or antibiotic-free. They can also remove the skin
from the chicken treated with arsenic, which reduces levels significantly.
just one more reason I'm glad to be vegan!
You can be too, if you need help visit http://www.wholebodyandspirit.com/counseling.html
posted by Tara at
4:50 PM
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